Tag Archives : food

I’ve started reading the Paleo Solution and decided to ease into the diet today. I’m not even sure what’s allowed yet, which is why I say “ease in”…Here is a run down of my day:

Breakfast: Apple, raisins, water

Thoughts/Feelings/Observations: I felt pretty full for a while but was starving by noon. I know most Paleo eaters have a meat for breakfast to keep them full longer. I’ll get to that when I get more organized! Most mornings I just grab whatever I can on my way to preschool or the sitter.

Lunch: Thickburger from Hardees with light mayo, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. No cheese or bun. Small french fry. Unsweet tea with lemon (which was surprisingly good for this sweet tea addict). The key was adding the lemon. It sweetened things up nicely and because I love lemon juice, I have a feeling it’s going to help me a lot on this diet!

Thoughts/Feelings/Observations: I have never been good at self-control when it comes to food and eating out is one of my favorite things to do. I don’t want to miss out on any fun because of this diet, so when my hubby and his parents invited me to lunch, of course I couldn’t turn it down. Living in a very small town, our immediate choices for lunch unless we want to drive 20 minutes include McDonalds, Wendy’s, Hardee’s, Burger King, a pizza place, and a rib place. When we’re in a hurry we normally hit McDonalds, but today was Hardees.

I was surprisingly satisfied with my meal, but must admit that the mayo soaked bun was calling my name! I think I already realize that carbs have always been a comfort food for me. I ate the french fries instead. Who knows if they are allowed on this diet? I am going to guess, NO, but I haven’t gotten that far, and potatoes are a veggie, right? 😉

In other news, I have not yawned at all today! This is so abnormal for me. I normally yawn constantly. I felt a little nauseous after lunch…maybe that’s the sugar withdraw. Unsweet tea is sooo not me!

Snack: Raisins. (Luckily I like raisins a lot).

Dinner: Chicken Cacciatore (Ooops!)

Thoughts/Feelings/Observations: Okay, so I already had a weak moment. I ordered takeout. It’s Friday night, my hubby had a basketball game, I was home by myself with the girls and I was STARVING. Like, dizzy, irritable, cranky starving (or what some people like to call HANGRY–see picture below). Luckily (or unluckily) we have a pizza place within 1 mile of our house which delivers. Hmmm. I tried to think of something I could order that wouldn’t hurt my stomach. I immediately thought of Chicken Cacciatore for some reason. When I ordered it I imagined a big chicken breast with grilled vegetables and maybe some noodles on the side (which I would give to my daughter, who loves “sketti’s”). What came was actually grilled strips of chicken on a bed of spaghetti, covered in tomato sauce and smothered in melted cheese. Hence the “ooops.” I tried to just eat the chicken but I am really picky with chicken and it left a lot to be desired. In my ravenous state I gobbled up half the spaghetti drenched in cheese (and gave the other half to my daughter). In my mind this was a “last supper” of sorts, but…

The Result—>Pain. Cramps. Running to the bathroom within 10 minutes. FOR REAL. This stuff is for real, people! I’m still sitting here in pain as I type….and also re-considering what I feed my daughter BIG TIME (who at the ripe old age of 2.5 has already had her fair share of stomach problems).

All I can say is tonight I’m going to do some more reading and tomorrow I’m going to try harder…for the sake of my stomach…and my sanity!

“Feel Goods” of the Day: Feeling good is the whole point of this journey, so these are the things I’m doing daily to help me achieve this goal.

-As part of my “Operation Feel Good” I got a facial and a manicure today. I want to feel good on the inside and out, so a little sprucing up was in order. I’ve been having some issues with my skin and was ready to do something about it. The facial was amazing and helped get rid of all of my clogged pores and yuckiness. I just threw in the manicure for good measure!

-Hanging with my girls. This always makes me feel good!

Thanks to those that’ve tweeted, texted, emailed and commented with words of encouragement! It’s so awesome to see that I’m not the only one on this “quest”!

*I’m looking for a good mobile app to use when I’m out and about as a quick reference guide. Let me know if you know of a good one!*

I’ve been struggling with stomach issues and anxiety for as long as I can remember and I really want to make a change.

My chiropractor recommended a unique doctor who specializes in female issues related to diet and hormones and today was my first appointment. It felt so refreshing to meet with someone who I feel can really help me!

She recommended a few things to start with and I go back in two weeks for another check-up. She also ran some initial tests to get an idea of where I am with my hormones, thyroid, and more.

Over the years I’ve tried cutting out meat, dairy, and gluten, among other things but I’ve never been able to stick with it or see a real difference with my stomach pains. As for the anxiety, I’ve tried everything from meditation to medication and haven’t found much relief. She recommended I read The Paleo Solution and start experimenting with The Paleo Diet. A quick summary of the diet says that, “It’s the healthiest way you can eat because it is the ONLY nutritional approach that works with your genetics to help you stay lean, strong and energetic! Research in biology, biochemistry, Ophthalmology, Dermatology and many other disciplines indicate it is our modern diet, full of refined foods, trans fats and sugar, that is at the root of degenerative diseases such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, depression and infertility. – Robb Wolf

Hmm…it’s definitely worth a try, though I know it’s going to be HARD.

Cutting out grains, dairy and refined sugar is part of the diet. This may sound impossible right now but I think I’m willing to give it a shot if it’s going to help with my stomach problems, anxiety and low energy!!

I’d love to chronicle my experience here to help get the motivation and encouragement that I am going to need to make this positive change! Let me know if you’ve heard of this diet and lifestyle change or any other tips you may have!!

I had some ground beef thawed out tonight and wanted to make something NEW and DIFFERENT (besides our normal tacos) so I went searching on Pinterest until I found a recipe that included ingredients I already had in my cabinets. About a year ago we bought a large amount of beef from a local farm and have had it in our freezer for what seems like e-t-e-r-n-i-t-y. It’s nice that we haven’t had to buy meat in a long time, but I’m running out of creative ways to cook it!

Here is a helpful “pin” I found on my search with a whole list of recipes for ground beef:

…and the hubby and I were pleasantly surprised with how it turned out!

Here are my own pictures:

I halved the recipe and still had some ground beef left over. If you wanted to make a healthier version you could use fat-free sour cream for the sauce, rather than the full strength. If I had left out the green chilies it also would’ve been a bit more “kid-friendly.”

Do you have a favorite recipe using ground beef?

We still have about 10 more bags of ground beef in our freezer, so I need lots of creative ideas!